Heir to the Horizon
by Fallingfrost
Summary: Ashes Dancing in Wind has been appointed leader over the Tribe of Endless Horizon, but her leadership is about the be stole out from under her paws. How will this young leader handle her opposition?


Waves crashed on the rocks outside of camp, a storm was brewing, Ashes thought to herself. She could just barely see the outline of the sea horizon, the bluish black clouds gathering there. She sat perched on the leader's rock as it grew warm in the sun. A glow of a orange-yellow halo outlined around her head by the midday sun. No matter how bad the storm was going to be, she thought to herself as she shook her head out of her worries. This matter must be settled before the storm comes.

Ashes Dancing in Wind gazed down at the brown and white tabby she cat, her eyes cold and hard. "What do you have to say for yourself, Flowers drifting on Breeze?" The tribe clustered around her, scattered around the clearing their gazes flickering back and forth from the leader to the warrior. Flowers lapped at a patch of brown tabby fur on her shoulder vainly, glancing over at Sap drying on Tree patronizingly. She puffed her chest out as the tom glanced away and peered at his paws.

A long-furred dark she cat with yellow stripes glared at their leader, all the while dragging her claws across the ground. Flowers met Ashes scorching eyes, and for a second Ashes swore she saw fear in the warrior's eyes, but it then hardened with disrespect.

"I will not hunt or help this mangy tribe of rouges and outsiders. When Boulder was here, he wouldn't have stood for this!" Flowers replied her ears flattened to her head. Ashes gazed coolly back at her, flicking her tail slowly side to side. The long furred she cat padded next to Flowers, her tail lashing angerly. "I won't hunt for this tribe either." She swept her yellow eyes across the group of cat her head bristling with anger. "I think I can say that we all know who should be the leader of this tribe. Not you Ashes Dancing in Wind but Flowers, she's Boulder's daughter. She's more of a leader than you'll ever be."

Ashes glanced down at Brairs Tangling over Path, who was bristling angerly. The large sleek tabby tom was hissing loud enough for all the cats to hear. He was the son of Boulder while his sister , Brambles Climbing over Rock, sat at the entrance of the medicine cat den her tail wrapped protectively around Lily's kit, Rose drifting in Puddle.

"Did you forget that Boulder wasn't your father, Flowers? Your father was some rouge, and that Boulder was your mother's second mate after your father died? We all know that any kits that Boulder had with your mother died as kits." Brair replied coldly as he snarled padding closer to her.

The cats who had been born in Boulder's tribe muttered in confirmation. Leopard Hiding in Shadows rose to his paws. "I remember when Sparrow kitted. Two of the kits were stillborn and the other died shortly after his birth." A dark grey she cat called out. "Boulder voted that Ashes should become leader."

Ashes glanced around the clan seeing if any other cats were going to join the pair of she cats. None of the other cats seemed to want to move toward Flowers and Cry of Little Bird and instead were staring in shock or disbelief . Brair had thrust himself next to the the pair , his claws unsheathed and tense.

"Cry, you know that Flowers isn't the right one to lead this clan. We take in rouges and those who find their way here because that is the way the ancestors want it. No Cat will be turned away." Bramble called quoting the law.

A blind she cat with dark tortoiseshell fur sat at the edge of the clearing, Seeker for Answers, calm and gazing at them as if she could see all of this play out. She had been living on this island since before the groups had united, on her own and alone, all that was left of her family was Ice Melting on Rocks. Seeker was said to be gifted with the ability to see visions from the ones long forgotten along with Bramble.

"I say that if you do not do not wish to follow the ways that the past ones have done, then leave." Seeker replied her voice even and monotone. Her fur laid flat as the clan cats all turned toward her, their eyes on her. Seeker shrugged. "The law is hard but it is the law."

Flowers stood still as if realizing all the things she would have to do by herself. A blur of dark fur rushed toward Ashes her claws unsheathed with a yowl, as Brair knocked her aside pinning Cry to the ground. Cry spit at him as Brair pinned her to the ground, her tail bushed up in anger. Or was it fear?

"Banish them!" Night of No Clouds yowled as he balanced on his hind legs batting the air claws unsheathed. Storm on the Horizon narrowed his eyes at Cry and Flowers, but was otherwise expressionless. Equinox on Last Day sat next to the apprentices, smug and smirking at Flowers. Flower bared her teeth in a snarl unsheathing her claws.

"I say it with the approval of the islands ancestors, and with all the authority they carried, Cry of Little Bird and Flower drifting on Breeze you both are banished for three moons. At the end of the three moons, you may come back to the tribe and until then if any of my warriors see the both of you." Ashes watched at Flowers as she let out a yowl of anger. "They may chase you off, but not kill you."

"If you don't come back at the end of the three moons, we will not search for you." Ashes growled as she swarmed down the rock, her paws beating on the stone with certainty. Thud. One moon. Thud. Two moons. Thud. three moons. Thud. Two cats left to struggle in the wild. Blue of the Endless Waves realized with sudden, startling finalization of the pair of she cats in the wild. Death was almost certain.

Ashes glanced at her sister, noticing the shock on her sister's face. She nodded for moving next to Brair and with a sudden flick of her tail she released Cry. Cry rose to her feet with a hiss. "You'll regret this. Losing two of your best warriors." She snarled into Ashes face, whose fur was bristling. Her whiskers were drawn back, her eyes meeting Cry's with a unknown emotion.

Ashes seemed to be looked in a staring contest with Cry, neither willing to back down, as Ashes stared coolly back at the exiled cat, who glared in anger. Arching her back Flowers turned to Sap angerly.

"You're just going to let them do this to me? Cast me out like sun rotten fresh kill?" She yowled bitterly at him in disbelief. Sap recoiled back his tail tucked between his legs as he pressed his belly to the soil. "Flowers, I'm sorry." He whispered back. Storm rose to his paws thrusting himself between the pair. "You need to leave, Flowers. Don't make us chase you out." Storm hissed bushing his fur out angerly.

"Some tom you are, Sap! Letting them do this to your own mate." Cry spat padding out of camp. She strode across the camp with a hiss. Flowers glared bitterly at him. "Come with me, Sap." She demanded. She waited a heartbeat for him to rise to his paws and follow. He just stared at her, his eyes wide with sorrow. Or was that fear?

"This is your punishment, Flowers." Ashes mewed nodding to the entrance. "Not his. Now, Storm, Leopard and Tidepool, escort these cats to the east end of the island. Leave them at the Snakerocks and then come back." Ashes turned around, as a dark grey she cat, a spotted tom and blue grey tom rose to their paws following the hissing she cat to the entrance.

Ashes climbed onto top of the rock, watching as the five cats disappeared into the trees. This whole affair was horribly serene after the exile, as the camp went about their business, but still the horrible tension remained. Would Cry and Flowers be back in three moons or not come back at all? Who really cared? It seemed to fade with the crashing of the waves.


End file.
